Chestnut Bread

Prep

Cook

20 m

Ready In

1 h 30 m

Recipe By:Faith Willinger
“This authentic Tuscan chestnut bread recipe, castagnaccio—not exactly bread and not sweet enough to be considered cake—is in a category by itself. Serve this Italian delicacy on a cheese platter or as part of an antipasti spread. ”

Ingredients

⅔ cup raisins

½ cup warm water or Vin Santo dessert wine

1⅔ cup chestnut flour (see Tip)

1 cup water, plus more as needed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

⅔ cup walnut halves

1 tablespoon pine nuts

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

Directions

1Preheat oven to 400°F.

2Cover raisins with warm water (or wine) in a bowl and let soak.

3Meanwhile, sift chestnut flour with a flour sifter or push it through a fine sieve into a medium bowl—this can be harder than it sounds, because the flour typically has many hard lumps. Add 1 cup water and whisk until combined. Stir in 1 tablespoon oil. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes.

4After 15 minutes, the consistency of the batter should be similar to pancake batter; if it's too thick, add another tablespoon or two of water to thin it a little bit. Drain the raisins and stir into the batter along with walnuts

5Place the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in an 8-inch square baking pan and set in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes to heat the oil. Tilt the pan so the oil coats the bottom and sides. Pour in the batter and smooth to the edges (some of the oil will be pooling around the edges of the pan). Sprinkle with pine nuts and rosemary.

6Bake until dry on top and the edges are browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Loosen the sides with a knife before turning the bread out of the pan or lifting it out with a large spatula. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Make Ahead Tip: Store airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days; reheat in a low oven, if desired.

Chestnut flour—literally ground dried chestnuts—is a naturally gluten-free flour with a slightly sweet, smoky flavor. Try it in place of some of the all-purpose flour in savory breads or pancakes and/or as part of a gluten-free flour blend. Look for it at an Italian grocer, in some natural-foods markets or online at amazon.com.

Sift on parchment: Sifting into a bowl can be awkward. Instead, sift your dry ingredients onto a large piece of parchment paper and then lift the paper to pour them into the bowl.